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Spanish A2 for Spanish nationality

To get Spanish nationality by residence, most adults must prove basic Spanish by passing the DELE, the official diploma of Spanish as a foreign language, at level A2 or higher. Some people are exempt, and some other official certificates also count. Here is how the requirement works, with links to the official sources.

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How to meet the Spanish language requirement

  1. Check whether you need the DELE

    Applicants aged 18 or over need the DELE at level A2 or higher. You are exempt if you are a national of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay or Venezuela. If that is not the nationality you are registered with in Spain, you also show a valid passport or a consular certificate of it; that second nationality counts only for the DELE exemption, not for the other requirements. Brazil, Andorra, the Philippines and Portugal are not on the list, even though their nationals have a shorter residence period.

    Official source

    Spanish nationality by residence: all the steps

  2. Check whether a certificate you already have counts

    You do not need to sit the exam again if you already hold a DELE at level A2 or higher. An official certificate of Spanish as a foreign language at level A2 or higher also counts if it was issued by a Spanish education authority or a state language school (Escuela Oficial de Idiomas) and is entered in the official register; you authorise the Ministry of Justice to check it. Other Spanish certificates in the international SICELE system do not count for nationality.

    Official source

  3. Check whether you can be exempted

    Applicants under 18, and people whose legal capacity has been modified by a court, do not take the DELE; they provide certificates from their school or care centre instead. If you cannot read or write, or have learning difficulties, you can ask the Ministry of Justice for an exemption before you apply, and you cannot apply for nationality until it has decided; it decides within 6 months (it may also authorise an adapted test instead), and no answer means refusal. People who went to school in Spain and completed compulsory secondary education (ESO) can also be exempted: they do not need to ask first, and simply attach proof to their application.

    Official source

  4. Register for the DELE A2

    Register through the Instituto Cervantes' online system, yourself or through your exam centre. The DELE is held at Instituto Cervantes centres, at authorised universities and state language schools, and at other recognised exam centres in Spain and abroad. The Instituto Cervantes sets the exam dates and the price for each country, and exam centres may not charge more. A registration is valid for a single exam session.

    Official source

  5. Take the written and oral tests

    Your exam centre emails you the dates and places of the written tests and the oral test. On the day, bring your passport together with your foreign resident identity card (TIE), or your national identity card if you are an EU citizen. If you have a disability, the Instituto Cervantes offers support and reasonable adjustments.

    Official source

  6. Get your result and your diploma

    The Instituto Cervantes emails you to say when your grades are available in your personal area on its exam website. If you pass, it issues a digital diploma. The DELE is an official Spanish diploma, issued in the name of Spain's Minister of Education by the director of the Instituto Cervantes.

    Official source

  7. Use it in your nationality application

    Pass the CCSE as well, unless you are exempt from it. In your application you either attach your certificates or authorise the Ministry of Justice to check your results directly with the Instituto Cervantes. The application fee does not include the price of the DELE or the CCSE.

    Official source

    The CCSE: what the test covers and how to register

Official sources (8) · last checked 17 October 2026